Because their burrows are conspicuous, badgers (Taxidea taxus) are relatively easy to track when you’re in their preferred habitat. They like open landscape, such as prairie, desert scrub, and savanna, with loose, sandy soil. They range throughout the west and … Continue reading →
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are known for their dexterous hands, in comparison to other members of Carnivora, but when compared to other procyonids, they are intermediate in manipulatory ability. Their fingers are incapable of complete flexion over the palm, and their … Continue reading →
Woodchucks (Marmota monax) have sweat glands near the corners of the mouth which emit a pungent odor. The animals are well known to rub their cheeks on trees, roots, and stones near the den, thus depositing their scent. Groundhogs often … Continue reading →
Sometimes the most interesting trail camera captures are incidental. Such was the case with this video of a North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) grooming and napping. I had set the camera near an otter latrine just off a well used … Continue reading →
Meadow voleĀ (Microtus pennsylvanicus) populations typically cycle every 3-4 years, and this year is definitely a peak, at least in my backyard. The earth seems to be burping them up. To give you a sense of their abundance, I’ve seen more … Continue reading →
Groundhogs at Burrow By Susan Fly It’s a mom and pop business for now, with both male and female woodchucks (Marmota monax) sharing this burrow. That arrangement will end once the mom gives birth – when dad will take his … Continue reading →
Recently I took on the personal challenge of camera trapping the Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi, an endangered subspecies of cougar, and the only confirmed breeding population of Puma concolor in the eastern US. Estimated at about 180 adults and … Continue reading →
The bobcat (Lynx rufus) uses urine and scat to mark important places within its home range. Like house cats, bobcats sometimes spray urine back onto vertical surfaces, such as stumps, trees, and stones. The animal might spray quickly and casually, … Continue reading →
Black bears are opportunistic omnivores, which typically consume much more vegetation than meat, especially in spring, when they head for the wetlands to partake of emerging tender greens. In fact, an analysis of bear scats over the course of a … Continue reading →
Like many other animals, beavers are territorial, and use scent to mark ownership. On the shore of their pond, they create piles of leaves, sticks and other debris, much of it dredged up with mud from the bottom of the … Continue reading →
